Hmmm...since you mention it, I wonder how many other faction mission are really tough to complete. I believe Wadi has succeeded with all of his missions (so far anyway) but I find it hard to believe all of them are cakewalks.

1) DC 20 Charisma check to finish a faction mission.
2) DC 20 or 25 Heal/Knowledge/Handle Animal (with no or only one re-try possible).
3) Performing a 'Steal' combat maneuver to grab something from a flying opponent *in combat* (it has to be done whilst the monster is flying).
4) There are also a bunch of faction missions involving inanimate objects, which, if you don't do them as soon as you encounter them, become impossible to do later, for one reason or another...

Having said that, the official expectation is that PCs only manage to get 2/3 of their Prestige Points...

Unfortunately, this module has a few *rather difficult* faction missions :-/

@Gerald: It is possible to retrieve the painting before the fire-bomb goes off (after all, Alie did identify the painting, but then decided to leave it there for retrieval on the way out) - the problem is, if the trap *is* set off, it specifically states that the painting in question is incinerated :-/

I've also found that, with a few notable exceptions, Seasons 3 and 4 have more easily accomplished missions than the earlier seasons. Also you're guaranteed at least 1 PP in the later scenarios as long as you complete the overall scenario objective...so even if you blow your mission (or in some cases blow it up!) it's not a total wash.

I had missed all updates on this thread since September. Damn. I'll have to check some other threads to see what I've missed.

So we are getting to the end of this one and I haven't gathered nearly as many GM credits for a new guy as I had imagined back in the middle of vacations :P In fact I got 1 and I'll have a second here in a week or two when the other pbp wraps up. I don't know about bringing in a 1st level guy.

I have a fighter who is 5th level (his last game was actually this one we are playing now), but his paperwork is a bit of a shambles I just found out and he is just high enough that in a few scenarios he wouldn't be able to play any 1-5.

I also have a cleric of Shelyn who is 3rd level plus one XP. She is more of a match to continue with this group, but then we don't have a full bab character. A lot of her options are spent on channeling enhancement (channeling focus, alignment channel, selective channel, improved channel) so she isn't meant to be a melee powerhouse. But if she takes the weight of healing off of Fog we might be able to tool him up a little for melee. She does have a glaive for reach and can throw lightning as Fog does fire. I think I'll plan on bringing her and once we get enough XP gathered up to be in the fighter's range switch to him. I could give her those 2 GM credits and bring her in as 4th level for a little extra boost...

Sounds good to me about the cleric, ith. We'll find someway to get it done! If we live long enough to level again, I think I'll have Alie take Summn Mnster II as her second level spell, so that might help with melee a bit as well.

Tal has been in the Blakros Museum, albeit briefly. (During Echoes of the Overwatched.) He and the rest of his party were asked never to return...although I doubt the curator ever got a good look at Tal's face.

After Voices in the Void my Inquisitor is adamant that he will never set foot in the place again. Of course he's got some better gear now so he may change his mind one of these days.

The annoying part of the acid thing, is that I've played this at a convetion table, where *everyone* got their fction mission. (Mine took some serious random rolling, a rival faction actually ended up making the check for me to actually get what I needed). So the acid thing is now really annoying me because I can't remember how we did it.

Yeah- I played this one a couple years ago, but I don't remember this being a dilemma. No idea why. My memory of the entire scenario is kinda fuzzy because real time play doesn't leave a lot of time for lingering over descriptions or exploring. Monsters! Kill!

With a bit of effort (and to speed things up, so that we don't take a week to make a plan), you are able to work out that whilst 'taking 10', Valeros and Talhaearn are able to climb along the inner wall without any trouble, but all of the others will need to roll if they wish to accompany them... risking a fall into the acid...

Damn Luke. You beat me to the end on this one. I thought I would finish just before this one, but Voice in the Void is finishing with what is going to end up being a 10+ round fight.

I pretty well finished off updating the cleric last night. She had more credit than I thought. 4th level without applying Voice in the Void or another floating GM credit I have.
Fog> You can prep your spell slots to be a badass on the next one. I'll prep lesser restoration and other stuff with the option to spontaneously cure light or moderate. 5 channels at 2d6. I can do a little melee and will, but you Kovar and Tal should be the lead there. Only 23 hps at 4th level and 16 AC means I won't last long if I try to mix it up too much.

It's OK if we break for a bit until Voices is over...I've got Tal booked into a face to face game and, should he survive, will return to you more powerful than when he left!

In a pinch...I've got a 3rd level melee Inquisitor as well. More sturdy than Tal, but obviously lacks the sneak attack damage. His strength is higher though...so he's strong enough to carry the right gear for any situation!

I always think of the necklaces as a skill monkey item. Spell in a bottle type thing. With it on your spell list you have stronger scrolls as an option. They carry their own risks, but I thought I would put it out there.